Folding armechair



5, 1929.. s...|.co|.ow.m

FOLDING ARICHAIR Filed Feb. 28. 1927 Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,703,879 PATENT OFFICE.

GBORGEI. GOLDWYN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE I. GOLDWYN AND HERMAN GOLDWYN, COPARTNEBS DOING BUSINESS AS GOLDWYN BROTHERS, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING .ARMCHAIR Application. led February 28, 1927. Serial No. 171,480.

This invention relates to improvements in folding arm chairs and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a chair ot' the kind including a back rest and arm rests, which may be readily unfolded for occupancy and as readily folded into a substantially compact arrangement when desired.

A further` object of the invention is to simplify the construction and reduce the cost of manufacture of such a chair, as well as its weight and at the same time so arrange the various parts that they coact to a better advantage in a chair of this kind.

These objects of the invention as well as others together with the many advantages thereof will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a chair embodying one form of my invention, when unfolded ready for occupancy.

Fig. 2 is another perspective View of the same when folded.

Fig. 3 is a view in eleva-tion on an enlarged scale, of the right hand side portion of the chair above the legs.

Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional view on a further enlarged scale as taken on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings 1 and 11l indicate respectively the front andl rear pairs of crossed legs of the chair, all preferably of Wood. Each pair of legs is made up of crossed leg members 2 and 3 respectively, the leg member 2 comprising top and bottom offset parts 21-2" suitably connected together at their adjacent ends by a pair of front and rear flat connecting plates L1 4. Each connecting plate includes a fiat mid-portion and top and bottom ends which extend parallel with each other but in ott'set planes, said end portions extending at an angle to said mid portion and beingl riveted to said leg parts 2-2". The mid portions of the leg 3 extend between the mid portion of the associated connecting plates 4-4 and a rivet 5 passes through said leg and plate portions and provides the pivotal connection between the leg members 2 and 3. A folding brace bar 6 operatively connects said leg members together to lock them when the chair is ready for occupancy. When it is desired to fold said le s, the brace bar is broken at its middle an folds upwardly as shown in Fig. 2.

Ihe bottom ends of the legs of the front pair of legs are connected to the like ends of the legs of the rear pair by longitudinally extending bars 7. The top ends of said legs are cut on an angle less than a right angle as at 8 for a purpose later to appear, said angle extending in a horizontal plane when the legs are in their open unfolded position.

Associated with said legs is a seat frame including duplex side rails 9-9 each rail comprising top and and bottom rail members 10 and 11, respectively, made of wood strips of a substantially square cross section and the bottom member is rabbeted as at 12 along its top surface at the outer side thereof. Associated with the duplex side rails is a seat member 13 of canvas or the like. The side margins o f said seat member are folded `over as at 14 to provide a double thickness which is seated in the rabbeted parts of the bottom members of each side rail and are then secured in place as by tacks 15. After the seat member has been tacked to said rail members, the associated top rail members are placed in position. above the bottom rail members and roundheaded bolts 16 are passed through both rail members from above and through the interposed portions of the seat member. A nut 17 is threaded on each bolt from below and each nut is seated in a recess 18 in the bottom surface of the bottom rail member. When said nuts are drawn up tight the rail members act to securely clamp the-ends of the seat member in place so that they cannot pull out under the Weight of the person occupying the seat.

Associated with each duplex rail is an arm rest frame comprising a normally upright, short front member 19 and a slightly rearwardly inclined longer rear member 20 both preferably made of cylindrical wood. The bottom ends of the front and rear members are engaged in recesses formed therefor in the top rail member 10 and are secured in place by nails passing laterally through said member. The top end of the short. front arm rest member extends into the front end of a Hat Wooden arm rest 21 through the rear end of which against folding the rear and longer arm rest member .extends and pro]ects a suitable distance beyond the same. The arm rest may besecured to said front and rear arm rest members in any suitable manner. Al flexible back rest 22 in the form of a strip of canvas is provided and said back rest member is formed with pockets 23 at its ends to receive those portions of both rear arm rest members 20 abovethe associated arm rest 21. Preferably said back rest is ,fixed to one of such portions and removable from the otherone'thereof so thatwhen'the chair is folded said back rest member \inay be wrapped or rolled upon the extension of the member 20 to which it is fixed as b est shown in Fig. 2.

The seat frame'as a whole is operatively connected to the pairs of legs as Ifollows: Fixed to the outer surface of the top ends of each leg is one of the straps 24 of a a depending or hanging down position along side the legs to make up a compact folding arrangement.

To unfold or open the chair the pairs of legs are swung into their crossed position and the foldingbrace 6 of each pair is then actuated to lock the legs thereof in this position. The arm rests at each side of the: chair are then swung upwardly about the hinged connection between the legs and side rails, when portions of the undersides of the rail members 11-11 will engage on the cut off top ends 8 of the legs. The pocket 23 at one end of the canvas back rest member is slipped over -the associated arm rest `ends of the associatedlegs.v

The duplex seatrail arran ement isV indeed 'advantageous because t 'ey n'ot only provide .a4 firm hold for theA canvas seat member but also act as 4struts connecting the top ends of the legs and at the same time support, the arm rests and back rest member. The chair is readily folded and unfolded and is light in weight and lis comfort-able to occupy. It comprises a substantially few parts s o arranged as to coact to the best advantage in reducing the cost of.

manufacture thereof. v

`While in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details of Vmechanical construction as well as form and arrangement of parts thereof I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claim.

I `claim as my invention:

A chair of the kind described embodying therein front and rear pairs of folding cross legs, a side rail extending between the top ends of the legs at each side of the chair and including top and bottom rail parts, a flexible seat member clamped at its ends between the parts of each rail, means hingedly connecting the bottom part of each side rail to the top end of the associated legs and against which they engage when said legs are in the unfolded open position, an arm rest member fixed with respect to each top rail part yand including an upright extension and a back rest member connecting said extensions of the arm rest members together and removably attached to at least one of the same. ,y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 21st day of February,

' GEORGE I. GoLnwYN 

